There were no Robotics competitions in our state this year. This may have been devastating news to other teams, but not the RoboKnights! Sure, they would have preferred to compete their amazing robot, Shorty, but they didn't let the lack of competition stop them from still meeting 3 times a week to make this robot one of the best our school has ever seen, perfecting him, and developing their engineering and programming skills and friendships while doing so! I'm confident the effort they put in makes this team that much more knowledgeable and formidable next year!
Since Shorty never got to show off his impressive stuff, the Robotics Team hosted a half hour presentation for the Middle School this week. You may think a crew of brainy robot builders, describing carbon fiber manufacturing and the marvels of 3-D printing and not necessarily boasting "public speaking" as an item in their skill set, would not be able to get a whole auditorium of pre-teens to whoop and cheer and stand up...but you would be wrong! Ella was the emcee and, with her team, did a marvelous job getting every bit of their passion and enthusiasm for what they do, and the fun they have doing it, across to the middle schoolers. MS teachers have been complimenting us all week about what a great assembly Ella and her team lead.
Posing.
Planning.
Presenting.
Audience Q&A.
After all the info was given, the team took volunteers from the audience to drive Shorty and try what he was made to do: launch balls in a target. This was great fun! Everyone wanted a turn and Ella turned it into a Price Is Right kind of thing, picking audience members, who were jumping up and down with their hands raised, to "Come on down" and test their robot driving skills! Every time a ball went in the target (which it always does, because that is what the robot is programmed to do) loud cheers would erupt. Standing on stage in front of an audience going wild for something you've created, was a pretty neat way to close out the 2020-21 Robotics season!
Like so many things these past 2 years, Robotics was dealt a wrench in their plans. But, the grace and good humor this fun team met it with is just as admirable as the high tech, autonomous robot they designed and built from the ground up!
1 comment:
Of course Ella was the MC! Good thing that she has experience on the stage so she could do such a great job in the assembly. Hopefully the team will get to compete next year, and show what shorty is capable of. Love, Grandma
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